Writing in a personal capacity to share views, information and resources for teachers, trade unionists and campaigners in London - and beyond!

Sunday, 30 December 2012

A plan of action for January

Tell your colleagues - tell the National Executive

WE’VE GOT TO TAKE NATIONAL STRIKE ACTION THIS TERM!

MICHAEL
GOVE has declared that he is on a ‘war footing’ to drive through his
attack on teachers’ pay. We mustn’t let him succeed.His
attacks, leaving pay dependent on a manager’s view of a teachers’
‘performance’, have nothing to do with improving education. Gove wants
to cut salary costs to help his privatising friends and to try to cower
and divide teachers so that we can be bullied and overworked even more
than we are already.Too
many teachers already struggle to cope with relentless workload as we
are expected to somehow produce ever-improving results without the
resourcesrequired to meet the growing needs of our pupils. Stress levels, resignations and demoralisation
are rising. This is what teaching is already like in many schools
before Gove tightens the screw even further. If he gets away with his
plans, teaching will become a truly horrendous profession for too many.But Gove’s plans can - and must - be beaten.
If we organise effectively, and put in place a firm programme of
national strike action, then we can force this Government to retreat.Gove
has declared 'war' on teaching unions because he knows our potential
strength. When we take national action, thousands of schools are
affected, working lives and the economy widely disrupted, trade union
opposition to cutsdemonstrated in every community.Just
as we found when we struck over pensions in 2011, action can win wide
public support, especially if we go out and explain how Gove’s plans
are wrecking education.We must respond firmly and quickly to Gove’s attack. As a start, we have to build the strongest possible support for a first day of national action as soon as possible this term.That means talking to colleagues in your school and in other local schools, holding meetings to explain why we have to act.It
also means calling and emailing your National Officers and National
Executive members, so that they know that you are ready and willing to
take action.This is no time for teaching unions to hesitate or retreat.
We mustn’t repeat the delays of last year, when further pensions action
was postponed - giving Gove the chance to step up his attacks.
Regrettably, the NASUWT may not be prepared to call a national strike -
so the NUT may have to initiate action without them, as happened over
pensions. The NUT can’t delay, it’s time to act.

A PLAN OF ACTION FOR JANUARY

Tell schools

Local
NUT Associations should make immediate plans to get out emails,
newsletters and, above all, to call school meetings to discuss Gove's
threats and explain why we need to take national action. But take your
own initiatives too. Forward 'Classroom Teacher' to your friends and
colleagues

Tell the public

Some
school groups have already held school gate protests and sent photos to
the local press. Some London NUT Associations are planning a day of
leafleting and lunchtime protests on Wednesday 23 January followed by a
protest outside NUT HQ at 5pm to show the support for action. What can
you do? Feel free to copy and distribute the 'message to parents' in the latest Classroom TeacherTell your union

Make sure you attend local meetings and regional rallies to encourage your Union to callnational
strike action. Send in messages in support of action to NUT HQ and call
and email your NUT Executive members to ask them to vote for national
action when the NUT Executive next meets on Thursday January 24.

Martin Powell-Davies

* Brought up as a socialist by parents who hungered for what is right * One adopted grandfather left me a double-barrelled name, the other his name on a 1926 General Strike black-list * Joined the Labour Party as a teenager, left it when it abandoned the values and traditions of so many who built it in the past * Given a comprehensive education at St.Andrew's, Leatherhead * First-class degree from King's College, Cambridge, for those who like that kind of thing * Secondary science teacher in London 1986-2015 * Lewisham NUT Secretary 1993-2015, organiser of many campaigns to defend teachers and education * Living in Sydenham since 1997, father of four who were all so well-supported by Sedgehill School * Member of the NUT National Executive 2010-15 * NUT London Regional Secretary 2016 - * Proud to have been name-checked by Gove for saying that his 'reforms' could make teaching unbearable * Member of the CWI, following its global struggles via http://www.socialistworld.net * Candidate for TUSC in Lewisham West & Penge, 2015 * Member of Penge CC, often a 'Middle Aged Man In Lycra' on Sundays